BYD, a Chinese manufacturer of new energy vehicles (NEVs), has secured an agreement with the Azerbaijani government to establish a commercial vehicle manufacturing base in the country. The announcement was made on November 13, following an earlier order for electric buses from Azerbaijan.
The agreement, signed during the COP29 climate conference in Baku, will see BYD set up a manufacturing facility in the Sumgait Industrial Park, located in Azerbaijan. The plant is expected to produce around 200 electric buses annually from 2025 to 2028. This move marks a significant step in BYD’s expansion into the electric bus market in the region.
As part of the agreement, BYD also delivered 160 units of its K9UD, a 12-meter electric bus, to Azerbaijan in time for COP29. These buses were deployed to provide transportation services for dignitaries, media, and other participants at the event, with over 80 countries represented. “The electric buses are now in operation in Baku, contributing to the mobility of those attending COP29,” BYD said in a statement.
Earlier this year, BYD won an order for 160 units of the K9UD electric bus under Azerbaijan’s electric bus procurement program. The agreement also outlines the purchase of an additional 200 electric buses per year, which will be locally assembled in Azerbaijan. The K9UD model is equipped with a 422 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, offering a range of up to 450 kilometers. The bus is powered by two 150 kW electric motors and measures 12.2 meters in length, 2.55 meters in width, and 3.3 meters in height, with a total weight of 19.5 tons.
